Summary:
Zip code 20012 in Washington, DC is served by three public elementary schools—Takoma Elementary School, Shepherd Elementary School, and Breakthrough Montessori PCS—which together offer Pre-K through 5th or 6th grade to roughly 1,260 students. All three schools are similar in size, with enrollments between 383 and 483, but their academic results are far from equal.
Shepherd Elementary School is the clear standout, ranking 12th out of 124 DC elementary schools with a 5-star rating. Its ELA proficiency of 72.3% and math proficiency of 66.1% are far above the District of Columbia Public Schools district averages of 44.1% and 33.3%, and they also far exceed DC state averages. By contrast, Takoma Elementary School and Breakthrough Montessori PCS rank near the middle of all DC elementary schools with 2-star ratings, and both trail state averages in most subjects. Breakthrough’s math proficiency is especially low at 16.6%, while Takoma’s 5th-grade science proficiency is a relative bright spot at 31.25%, above the district and state averages.
One of the most interesting findings is that spending and class size do not predict achievement. Takoma spends the most per student at $28,743 and has the lowest student-teacher ratio at 9.8:1, yet its students perform far below Shepherd, which spends about $4,100 less per student and has a higher ratio of 13.1:1. Takoma also dropped from 47th to 67th in the rankings in one year, while Shepherd has remained in the top 12 for three consecutive years. Grade-level patterns differ too: Takoma’s ELA proficiency declines steadily from 3rd to 5th grade, while Breakthrough shows a striking jump from 12.5% in 3rd-grade ELA to above 40% in 4th and 5th grades. For families in this zip code, choosing a school can mean a very different academic experience.
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